“She said, ‘Addison. God sees everything already. You don’t need to make sure the congregation does the same.’”
Lexie laughs. “That’s funny.”
“I’ll never forget it either. Addison didn’t think it was that funny, but we all laughed.”
“Yeah, well, I just thought you liked me for me. How I dress, who I am, my outgoing personality.”
“Sweetie, I do.” I grab her hand. “That’ s what gotus together in the first place, isn’t it?” I laugh and think back to that night a few weeks ago.
I was down at the local bar with my younger brother, Cody, and a couple buddies. Lexie came in with one of her friends and walked over right away. She was very forthcoming and confident, which I liked. She didn’t leave me the rest of the night. We exchanged numbers and have been going together ever since.
* * *
Church went pretty well. I even saw Lexie mumbling along to one of the songs. She handled meeting new people decently too. Everyone was excited to meet her, and I finally didn’t have to deal with anyone asking me about a girlfriend.
Church was the easier part of today, though. I’m more nervous about lunch with my parents.
Sitting around the dining room table with my whole family like we do after church every Sunday, this is the first time in years one of us kids brought along a date. I’ve been on edge since we sat down. I could already tell my family didn’t love Lexie before we finished passing the food. Her manners aren’t the best, and she has a little bit of a foul mouth on her. I get their reservation, but I gotta give it to her, she’s gotten a lot better than she was even just a few weeks ago. But it’s why I haven’t brought her around much yet.
“Are you going to finish that?” Lexie asks my youngest brother, Mason, pointing to his almost empty glass of wine.
“Nope.” He hesitates slightly but hands it over to her.
She throws it back in one gulp and sets the glass back down. My mom’s facial expression shows she’s clearly unimpressed,and my dad looks away.
Cody interjects, “You know, we have more.” He gestures to the bottle sitting on the table in front of him.
Addison, my usually mature seventeen-year-old sister, giggles and I glare at her. She stops right away.
“Sure, I’ll have another glass.” Lexie shrugs, reaching out for the bottle, then turns to me. “You’re driving me home anyway, right, Jess?” Her brown eyes meet mine.
I nod. “Yeah. Yup.” I watch her pour herself another glass. This will be her third and, I hope, final. She gets lustful when she drinks, and that’s the last dang thing I need.
After we’re done with lunch, everyone disperses to their normal spots. Addison helps Mom clean up, Dad heads to his recliner for a nap, and Lexie follows my brothers and me to the couch to watch whatever episode ofTheDukes of Hazzardis next on the DVD. Our Sunday afternoon tradition.
We aren’t sitting for more than ten minutes before Lexie’s showing me her phone. “Some friends are going to the bar tonight for beers, wanna go?” she says quietly as I read the text.
I don’t really want to go out tonight. I’m not a big bar guy. Every so often sure, but I like hanging around home, always have. The unknown of how late she’ll want to stay out, how much she’s going to drink, exactly which friends of hers will be there … I don’t have all the answers I want right now, but I can’t let that consume me. I want to make her happy too. She stepped out of her comfort zone for me today, so I feel like I should as well.
“Sure,” I tell her. She smiles and texts them back right away.
“Oh, they’re going now. Ready?” she asks.
I look down at my half-full mug of hot ciderMom just made and brought in for everyone.
“Let me finish this?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes. I hurry up and drink it.
As we drive out our mile-long driveway, Lexie’s already shedding articles of clothing. Trying not to stare, I avert my eyes to our property.
We own a little over a thousand acres. All of us kids live on it, along with Mom and Dad. Cody and I have our own cabins, Mason’s is currently getting built, and Addison’s is next on the list. We also have a guest cabin where clients stay when they come out for a hunt.
My late grandfather started Dakota Flight Outfitters sixty years ago with only one cabin to start, which is now the guest cabin. The hunters used to have to stay in tents when they visited, but eventually my parents built the big house where they raised all of us and turned the original cabin into the hunters’ lodge. After my grandfather died, over ten years ago, my dad, Cody, and I took over the business. We’re the main guides, our primary focus being waterfowl: geese and duck.
Mason, my youngest brother, doesn’t have time to guide, being a cop and all. You’d be surprised at how much stuff goes on in a little North Dakota town where there’s only one stoplight, one bar, one bank, one church, and one grocery store, but he stays pretty busy.
* * *
Well, that’s the last time I go out drinking with Lexie again. First of all, she had way more to drink than I did and still is somehow barely affected. Second, she’s a flirt. Enough so that she’d have to be clueless not to see how it sends mixed signals to everyguy in the room, including me.
